Coconut is a flavor loved by nearly everyone. No one hears complaints when the dessert of the evening is german chocolate cake or coconut covered truffles. While I won't ask you to break out the double boiler, I do suggest macaroons. They are perfect for a quick, simple, yet impressive dessert.
A fantastic quality of this recipe is that it is easily adaptable to your tools at home without sacrificing too much flavor. Don't have an electric mixer at home? Whip them by hand! I guarantee the effort you'll put in for three to five minutes will be well worth the while. If your hand gets tired, note that every minute you mix, the lighter the macaroons will be. If you get tired, tell your friends you love a dense macaroon, and it was your intent. Just be sure to use egg whites that are at room temperature. If they are warm, it will be much easier for them to form peaks.
For the coconut, using shredded coconut rather than angel flakes will also change the consistency. Shredded gives you something to bite into, while angel flakes will end in coconut that melts in your mouth (to be interpreted as a bad thing in my opinion here). There is also the option of sweetened or unsweetened. If you have a particular sugar tooth, choose the sweetened; for a more subtle flavor, unsweetened.
Extracts are a fabulous way to make a recipe your own. I have made macaroons with hazelnut, lemon (not the best idea), cardamom, almond, and, of course, vanilla. Use what you have around or pick out what you'd like best at the store or even what's on clearance. Experimenting is the best part of cooking.
One step not usually included in coconut macaroon recipes is the step of letting the mixture sit. This is truly key to making shapely macaroons without a ring of baked milk around their coconut. This distracts from the flavor balance as well as the aesthetics. When you get to the bottom of the bowl, be careful to drain the last few servings slightly to avoid this mishap.
The best part of this recipe, beyond the innate deliciousness and ease of instruction, is the cost. Two bags of coconut (14 ounces) is around $3. A can of condensed milk (14 ounces) is $1.50. Eggs and salt I'd assume to be around the kitchen. Extracts are around $3 to $5 but will last months of use and can be an integral ingredient in any dessert. For under $5, this recipe is one you have no reason to pass up.
Ingredients 14 ounces shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Two egg whites
1 ½ tsp extract of your choice
Pinch of salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix coconut, condensed milk, and extract a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix room temperature eggs and a pinch of salt until they are whipped into visible peaks
4. Fold the egg whites into coconut mixture
5. Allow the mixture to sit for five minutes. The excess liquids will drain to the bottom of the bowl allowing the macaroons to reach the proper consistency for baking
6. Place balls the size of heaping spoonful onto parchment paper or greased pan
7. Bake for 30 minutes, until the top layer of coconut crisps.
8. Allow to cool and serve.
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